For individuals with a family history of high blood pressure, moderate exercise and improved cardiovascular fitness may help even out the playing field.

An individual's risk of sudden cardiac death isn't just tied to whether they are overweight or obese. It's also associated with the specific part of the body carrying the added weight.

With age and conditions such as heart failure, it's not uncommon for individuals to experience muscle wasting. Physical activity appears to be key to reversing that trend while also reducing inflammation. Researchers found that regardless of age, patients who exercised more experienced less muscle wasting as their bodies became conditioned to handle more physical activity. Exercise regularly to slow muscle wasting. Stephan Gielen , MD, lead co-author and deputy director of cardiology at the University Hospital at Martin-Luther-University of Halle in Germany, said that many docto...

For patients with heart disease, a heart rehabilitation program may do more than better their physical health. Such programs also appear to work by promoting healthy lifestyle decisions.

Looking to improve your heart health whether you are healthy or already suffer from cardiovascular disease? It may be as simple as regular fish consumption, particularly oily varieties such as salmon.

Drinking too much sugar-sweetened soda may increase your risk of having a stroke -- even if it's a diet soft drink. Coffee, on the other hand, was associated with a lower risk of stroke. Sugar-sweetened soft drinks and beverages have previously been tied to diabetes, weight gain, hypertension, high cholesterol, gout and coronary artery disease. Women appeared to be at a higher stroke risk as compared to men. Consume more fruits and vegetables to lower stroke risk. Adam Bernstein, MD, ScD , study author and research director at Cleveland Clinic's Wellness Institute, said that...

True or false : Chocolate is good for you. Yes, it's a trick question, so a couple of nutrition researchers set out to find out what kind of benefits chocolate does offer. One of the ingredients in chocolate thought to offer some health benefits are flavanols , which are antioxidants that appear to help reduce inflammation. Although various studies have shown a link between how many flavanols a person consumes and their reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, this association does not mean eating chocolate will prevent a heart attack. Consider eating a daily piece of dark chocol...

Consuming a high fat diet doesn't just cause you to pack on the pounds. It also may prematurely damage your blood vessels, which could lead to high blood pressure and coronary artery disease.

The debate rages on… are diet drinks okay when trying to cut calories when you're losing weight? Or do they put you at higher risk for heart disease, as some recent studies have claimed?

Spicing up lunch with the addition of fiery peppers may do the heart favors. Capsaicin , a substance that adds the heat to a variety of peppers, including jalapenos and habaneros , has been found to improve heart and blood vessel health.